Politics + Students = Explosive Mix?

Indian Universities and colleges have always been the playground for aspiring politicians.

Catch them younger -- over the years this has been the underlying principle on which political parties have been extending support to students contesting college elections.

But in the process, the dirt has also flowed into student politics. Arm-twisting and kidnappings are a common feature ahead of elections to the Student's Union.

The incident in Ujjain, where a professor lost his life after being allegedly manhandled during violence in college elections, is a glaring instance of how student politics has degraded over the years.

BJP-backed Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad's Madhya Pradesh unit secretary Vimal Tomar was shown on television channels abusing and threatening Professor M L Nath during the elections, which were later cancelled.

Are University students ready for such kind of politics? Should political parties be asked not to interfere in the Student Union polls? Tell us.